Heretofore encapsulated disc filter constructions have included horizontal disc filters stacked to form a vertical column of filter discs and these filter discs, after being assembled, are lowered into an upstanding container in which they are subsequently mounted to form a high capacity filter construction. However, these stacks of filters may be of considerable height and represent a considerable load, therefore requiring being handled by overhead hoist mechanisms. Accordingly, the task of replacing disc filters is time consuming and requires the placement of a suitable hoist adjacent the container for the disc filters.
Although horizontal filter constructions including a filter assembly of a plurality of side-by-side upstanding filter discs heretofore have been provided, these previously known forms of filter constructions are without enclosures and may therefore not be utilized in conjunction with certain fluids from which drippings and vapors may escape.
Accordingly, a need exists for an encapsulated horizontal filter construction including filter frames or plates which may be individually supported from the encapsulating structure and readily renewed or replaced when desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,956 discloses a filter construction including an elongated horizontal filter construction which is of the fully encapsulated type and is constructed in a manner whereby the individual filter frames or plates may be readily removed and replaced, when desired. The filter construction includes an elongated upwardly opening tank having interconnected opposite side and end walls with a first stationary filter head mounted in one end of the tank and a second movable head mounted in the other end of the tank and adjustably shiftable toward and away from the first head for clampingly engaging a plurality of filter frames between the heads.
The interior of the tank includes opposite side filter plate or frame supporting bars extending longitudinally thereof adjacent the upper marginal edges of the side walls of the tank and the various filter frames or plates to be clamped between the heads include support lugs slidably engaged with and supported from the bars. The shiftable head is movable toward the stationary head whereby the filter frames and plates may be clamped between the heads and the stationary head includes a fluid inlet passage and a fluid outlet passage for admitting fluid to be filtered into the filter construction and allowing the flow of filtered fluid from the filter construction.
The tank includes a downwardly opening cover and a support frame which swingably supports the cover from the tank for forward and downward swinging positions to close the tank and upward and rearward swinging to move the cover to an open position. The cover is supported from the frame for limited oscillation about a horizontal longitudinal axis and the opposite end walls of the tank include trapezoidal-shaped upper extensions and the end walls of the cover include complementary similar shape and size downwardly opening recesses in which the extensions are received when the cover is closed. The upper marginal edges of the opposite side and end walls of the tank include a seal structure for forming a vapor-tight seal with the lower marginal edges of the side and end walls of the cover when the cover is in the closed position and the movable filter head is supported from the corresponding tank end wall through the utilization of a jack screw threaded through the tank end wall and which may therefore be manipulated from the exterior of the tank to increase or decrease the compression forces applied to the filter plates disposed between the heads within the tank.
A lower portion of the tank includes a drain opening. The support frame for the cover and the tank have a pair of fluid cylinders operably connected therebetween for swinging the cover between the open and closed positions thereof.